President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election campaign is already revealing the political alliances, calculations and strategic interests shaping the race, following the unveiling of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council.
The council, announced by the President, will be chaired by Tinubu, with Vice President Kashim Shettima as First Vice Chairman and APC National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, as Second Vice Chairman. Former Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari, will serve as Director-General, while Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, is Secretary.
However, the absence of some prominent government officials has attracted attention. Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, and Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, are among those without major positions in the central campaign structure. Several other ministers, including Finance Minister Taiwo Oyedele, Foreign Affairs Minister Bianca Ojukwu and Police Affairs Minister Ibrahim Geidam, are also absent from prominent roles.
Despite their exclusion from the main council, all serving ministers are expected to participate in state-level campaign councils.
Akume’s absence is particularly notable because he served as Vice Chairman, North, during the APC’s 2019 presidential campaign. However, the decision may follow the precedent of keeping senior government officials focused on governance. In 2023, former President Muhammadu Buhari similarly excluded Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and then SGF Boss Mustapha from the campaign council.
Keyamo, who was a major spokesperson for the APC campaigns in 2019 and 2023, has also been left without a prominent role. His reduced influence has been linked by political observers to developments in Delta State, where Governor Sheriff Oborevwori has defected to the APC and now serves as Director of Finance/Treasurer of the campaign council.
The media team has received considerable attention, with Information Minister Mohammed Idris Malagi appointed Coordinating Director for Media and Strategic Communication. He will work alongside Dele Alake, Bayo Onanuga, Lanre Issa-Onilu, Tunde Rahman, Sunday Dare, Daniel Bwala and Felix Morka.
The council also features several new political entrants, including governors Douye Diri, Peter Mbah, Sheriff Oborevwori, Umo Eno and Dauda Lawal, as well as former Delta Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, former Senate President Pius Anyim and former House Speaker Yakubu Dogara.
Other notable additions include former Lagos Governor Akinwumi Ambode, former Super Eagles player Joseph Yobo, actor Zach Orji and businessman Obi Cubana.
The council has, however, generated criticism over the inclusion of individuals associated with past controversies. NRS Chairman Zach Adedeji, former Humanitarian Affairs Minister Betta Edu and former NSITF chairman Ngozi Olejeme are among those whose appointments have attracted public scrutiny.
Former Kogi West Senator Dino Melaye has threatened legal action over Adedeji’s fundraising role, arguing that it could create a conflict of interest because of his position as head of the nation’s revenue service.
Former governors Joshua Dariye and Jolly Nyame, both previously convicted of corruption-related offences and later pardoned, have also been included in the campaign structure.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) criticised the composition, describing the council as a possible “rehabilitation system” for individuals facing unresolved accountability questions.
Meanwhile, the Muslim Intellectual Forum, representing members from northern Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory, has endorsed Tinubu’s bid for a second term. More than 500 members attended its meeting in Dutse, Jigawa State, where the group passed a vote of confidence in the President and expressed support for his 2027 ambition.
